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  • APC alleges plot to arrest, kill members in Rivers

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) has accused the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of plotting to either arrest or eliminate its leaders and major supporters in Okrika and Ogu/Bolo Local Government Areas of Rivers State, using security agencies.

    The allegation is contained in a petition the party sent to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Wednesday.

    The petition was authored and signed by the Chairmen of the APC in both Local Government Areas, Christian Asifamaka (APC Okrika) and Israel Iboms (APC Ogu/Bolo), they also claimed to have information that about 10 of the party leaders in both local governments may be kidnapped before the elections.

    The petition dated March 17 and addressed to NHRC’s Chairman, was titled, “RE: Threat to peaceful elections in Okrika and Ogu/Bolo Local Government Areas of Rivers State, Nigeria.”

    The petitioners said: “Now the PDP and its Abuja authority have finalised plans to prevent the APC in these LGAs from voting in the forthcoming elections.

    “This they intend to do ‎by using all the security agencies to arrest our leaders, party agents and community leaders who are sympathetic to APC a few days before the elections on false charges.”

    The petitioners urged the NHRC urgently to investigate their complaints because threats against the leaders and sympathisers were real and should not be ignored.

    They accused the police of refusing to respond to their earlier complaints of serial attacks on the party’s offices and rallies ‎in violation of their fundamental rights.

    “Based on the above and judging from the antecedents of the source of these threats, we urge you to take immediate and adequate steps to prevent further massive violation our rights and pray you to investigate and bring perpetrators of the complained acts of human rights violation to justice.

    “Contrary to the extant provisions of the 1999 Constitution as amended, in Okrika and Ogu/Bolo Local Government Areas, the All Progressives Congress was stopped from undertaking it’s legitimate pre-election activities to wit:

    “(i) APC party offices in Okrika was burnt down on the January 11, 2015. Till date police have not done anything.

    “(ii) The campaign office of APC governorship candidate was also bombed and destroyed in Okrika.

    “(iii) On January 24, 2015, A‎PC gubernatorial campaign rally in Okrika was violently disrupted by gunmen who claimed they were acting based on orders from Abuja. This led to the cancellation of the same in Ogu/Bolo LGA slated from January 25, 2015.‎”

    The petitioners listed Arisky, Chief Jonah Tamuno, Mrs. Ibim Semitari, Maureen Tamuno, Chief Israel Iboms, Christian Asifamaka, Tamuno Williams, Abiye Amakiri, Dr. Emmanuel Iruayenama and TSB Ibuluyam as people allegedly penciled down to be kidnapped.

     

  • ‘Igbo ‘ll not do hatchet job in Lagos’

    ‘Igbo ‘ll not do hatchet job in Lagos’

    Igbos in Lagos have resolved to support the governorship ambition of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode. At a rally at Onikan Stadium, Lagos, Ndigbo and APC leaders sealed a new pact of peaceful co-existence and progress under the progressive banner, reports MUSA ODOSHIMOKHE.

    Onikan Stadium, Lagos, was aglow with festivities. From sunrise, Igbos in Lagos State stormed the venue for a strategic rally. The goal was to drum support for the candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the March 28 and April 11 elections.

    The rally attracted party leaders, businessmen, students and other groups. They were dressed in the traditional Igbo regalia. They exchanged pleasantries in the native way, shaking hands firmly and hugging.

    The popular Ndigbo greeting ‘Igbo kwenu, kwenu and  kwezuenu’ rent the air. Songs exploring the myths and folklore of  Nri Igbo, the ancestral home of Ndigbo, emanated from loud speakers placed in vantage areas.

    The itinerary musicians gyrating the length and breadth of the stadium praised General Muhammadu Buhari as the light that cannot be hidden under the bushel, warning those who have plundered the wealth of the country with impunity to repent before it is too late.

    The arrival of the National Leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, in Igbo costume, was the icing on the cake. The eminent politician was cheered by teeming party supporters.

    Tinubu urged Nigerians not to yield to the campaign to divide the country along religious and ethnic lines. He said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) campaigns of division were meant to pull the country down.

    The former governor said Igbo in Lagos are dedicated and committed people, who have made significant contributions to the development of the state and Nigeria in general.

    He said Lagos State is the land of opportunities for committed people, stressing that the APC government has never discriminated against them.

    He said: “Some of you have been here for over 50 years doing your businesses unmolested. Nobody can discriminate against you. Nobody will fight you based on your language.

    “Now, they have been coming to Lagos, calling you group by group giving you dollars, even ‘dollarised’ rice, ‘dollarised akpu’. But, can this translate into school fees for your children? Can this open business opportunities for you in Lagos? The APC government has opened several opportunities for Igbo and we will continue to do so.”

    Tinubu called on the Igbo not to bow to pressure from the ruling party. He said PDP only remembers them during elections.

    He said when Nigerians voted for President Goodluck Jonathan in 2011, it was not done on the basis of where he came from, but on the ground that he would deliver on electoral promises.

    The APC leader described the president as a failure.

    “Today the naira  has fallen. It is now N340 to a dollar. The cost of living has hit the ceiling. Traders are finding it difficult to replace their stock. The business community is suffering and Nigeria needs a savour to bail us out.”

    Tinubu said General Muhammadu Buhari saved the country in the past when it was facing socio-economic challenges, adding that Nigerians  look forward to him to bail the country out its predicament.

    He said those saying that age was not on Buhari’s side missed the point, noting that countries with similar challenges had sought the wisdom of the leaders, who were much older than Buhari to redeem their countries.

    “Chief Obafemi Awolowo contested his last election at the age of 74. Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe of blessed memory contested his last election at the age of 79. Nelson Mandela ruled South Africa at 74.

    “Buhari is a soldier and a patriot. When America needed the greatest patriot to rescue it from economic challenges. They chose a retired soldier Dwight Eisenhower. When France was invaded by Soviet communist, they went to General Charles De Gaulle. When Britain was in trouble, the invited Winston Churchill to save them.

    “This is the time we need General Buhari, who has done it before to rescue us from this elephantiasis. When Maitesini invaded some parts of the north he chased the away to Chad republic.”

    According to him, General Buhari could afford to sit at home, but he is not the type who turn his back when the country is facing challenges.”That is why we are calling on the people to vote him, trust him with your mandate because he has what it takes to save the country in this moment of crisis and instability.”

    The governorship candidate, Akinwunmi Ambode, who addressed the crowd in pidgin English, said the Igbo should distance themselves from the PDP’s propaganda. He promised to run an administration that will not discriminate against any ethnic group.

    Discribing the cordial relationship between Lagos State and indigenes of the Southeastern states as legendary, Ambode said his administration would sustain the tempo.

    “Lagos has stood for all of us, it is time for the people to stand for Lagos. I know the economic hardship does not discriminate, we are all facing difficult time and if something is not done Nigeria will go bankrupt.

    The standard bearer promised to consolidate on the achievement of Governor Babatunde Fashola. He said there is need for continuity. He praised the Igbo community for taking a position about the destiny of the country.

    “We need to tell ourselves the truth because the country is not working. We need someone to rescue the country in the person of General Buhari and, by the grace of God on March 28, he will be voted into power.”

    Igbo leader Chris Nwakobia said the PDP government has failed the country. Igbo are not articles of trade to be used and dumped. He also said they Igbo has his pride. They are hard working and only ready to accept the best in term of leadership.

    He said there was no amount of dollar that could make the Igbo trade his conscience, adding that Igbo were highly enterprising people, who do not look up to peanut dole out from any quarter to mortgage their future.

    He said Igbo stands for dignity, due process and progressives politics.” I believe in progressive politics because our destinies is tied to the Yoruba as well as the Hausa.

    “We repudiate those who tinker with the idea of dividing us along religious and ethic lines. We believe that together, we can make Nigeria work. That is why the Igbo are for change. We believe that, with the Yoruba and Hausa, we shall make Nigeria better, “ he said.

    Lagos State APC Publicity Secretary Joe Igbokwe thanked the government for its accommodating and friendly disposition. He said the government has employed over 500 indigenes of the Southeastern states.

    He said: “The APC government in Lagos State had provided jobs for our people . I am calling on you, my fellow brethren, to under study the 12 reasons why the PDP must go. The PDP has failed the country. All the promises they made to us have not been fulfilled.

    “Let me acknowledge the sterling qualities of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, who is a title holder in Igboland. We should pray for him because, if not for his efforts and those of a few patriots, Nigeria will a pawn in the hands of some selfish leaders, who are bent of destroying our collective unity.

    “Let us vote people we can trust, Tinubu loves the Igbo. His fatherly role in the life of an average Igbo has been tremendous. Our businesses has been moving smoothly and we will reciprocate the effort by ensuring we vote continuity in Lagos and change in Abuja.

    One of the earlier beneficiaries of the Spelling Bee Competition for public schools in Lagos, Mr. Alex Ezenagu, testified that the APC administration has assisted many children from poor background to become notable people in the society.

    He said: “When I participated in the Spelling Bee competition, I emerged the best in Lagos State and I was awarded scholarship. Thereafter I went to the University of Lagos to study Law and came out with first class. I again went to the Law School and came out with first class.

    “The scholarship offered to me was not given on the basis of discrimination. It was not denied me because I am an Igbo man. It  was given to me because I did well. That rare opportunity has transformed me today. I am appealing to my parents of the Igbo stock to please vote the APC, let there be continuity in Lagos and a change in Abuja.

    The Eze of Ndigbo of Ikeja, Eze Uche Dimgba said the rally was a product of the Igbo endorsement of the candidacy of General Buhari and other APC candidates in Lagos State.

    He said: “The main reason why the Igbo Ezes endorsed Buhari and all APC candidates is in view of the excellence recorded by the APC led administration across all the states of the federation.

    “It is on records that Lagos State under Asiwaju Tinubu and Governor Fashola has made progress. We want what has been done in Lagos State to be replicated at the federal level headed by General Buhari.”

    Dimgba explained the APC manifesto is the best among the other political parties in the country.”The choice of our support for APC is in view of the party’s credible and reliable presidential candidate who will tackle corruption and provide the enabling environment that will make business to thrive.”

    The climax of the event was the issuance of red card to the PDP by the March 28 Countdown Red Card Ambassadors for Change.  The members who wore Jersey with red card in the card, engaged in a football match between APC and PDP.

    Their leader, Linus  Okorie, said the match between PDP and APC should have been played on February 14, but the PDP committed foul and the match was rescheduled for Match 28.

    “The APC has been awarded a penalty to played within box 18. It will be taken by the skipper General Buhari who is a goal getter. He save the country before and he will deliver the country again. On March 28, he will deliver the ball into the net of the PDP to signal the end of the clueless government in the country.

    During the symbolic issuance of the red card, Tinubu urged the cheering crowd to raise the red up, naming the various positions contested by the parties which the people used their red card to sack the PDP at every announcement.

    Tinubu said: “At the senatorial election, who gets the red card?” The crowd chorused PDP. House of Reps, who gets the red card, PDP.  The Presidential election, who gets the red card? PDP. The governorship, who gets the red card? PDP, other positions, PDP.

  • APC supporters march for Buhari in Enugu

    APC supporters march for Buhari in Enugu

    Members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday marched in Enugu streets to drum up support for the party’s presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari.

    The supporters came in their thousands, singing pro-Buhari songs.

    Spokesman for the APC in the Southeast Mr. Osita Okechukwu said the indigenes and other Southeast people had confidence in Gen. Buhari.

    Okechukwu, who is also a member of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, said: “Gen. Buhari has pledged to revamp Enugu coal, utilise the coal to generate electricity and create one million jobs in four years.

    “He stands by the pledge he made on January 10 at the Enugu State rally of our great party. His word is his bond.

    “Gen. Buhari is passionate to create jobs for our youths and feels that the best way to create jobs in this region is to revamp the Enugu coal, which has been abandoned since the Civil War.

    “His visit to Taichung Coal-Fired-Power-Plant in Taiwan, the largest in the world, motivated his interest to revamp the Enugu coal.”

    He added that besides the coal project, “Gen. Buhari believes that no matter how vast our resources, if they are not efficiently utilised, they will only benefit a privileged few, leaving the majority in poverty. This, he wants to avoid by all lawful means and this is why he has repeatedly said that ‘if Nigeria does not kill corruption, corruption will kill Nigeria’.

    “To achieve this, he will publicly declare his assets and liabilities and encourage his political appointees to follow suit immediately he is sworn-in.

    “Secondly, he will work with the National Assembly to cut down the cost of governance; because he feels the amount expended on running the Presidency, the National Assembly and the state Assemblies cannot be reasonably justified with the poverty on ground.

    “Thirdly, he will inaugurate the National Council on Procurement as stipulated in the Procurement Act, so that the Federal Executive Council, which has been turned to a weekly session of contract bazaar, will concentrate on its core mandate of policy-making.

    “My dear compatriots, General Buhari served our dear country meritoriously in the military to the highest level, as a major- general and as a commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces. He crushed the Maitasine insurgents, a violent rabid sect as the Boko Haram and chased away the Chadian Army.

    “He will do so again, if you vote for him as the president and commander-in- chief; and not the current President, who just woke up from slumber after the elections were postponed.

    “In sum, Gen. Buhari subscribes to the fine tenets of social justice, the rule of law and the welfare of the greatest number of our citizenry. This is the celestial bond he has with the masses and the middle-class.”

  • Jonathan funding anti-Tinubu protest, says APC

    Jonathan funding anti-Tinubu protest, says APC

    President Goodluck Jonathan was yesterday accused of sponsoring Monday’s demonstration that crippled business and social activities in Lagos.

    Many Lagos residents were still suffering yesterday the effects of the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) protest against Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman Attahiru Jega.

    But, according to the APC, more protests – against former Governor Asiwaju Bola Tinubu – are on the way.

    In a statement issued yesterday in Lagos by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said just as it (APC) had alerted the nation in its press statement on Sunday, the President’s supporters, led by the OPC, stormed major roads in the city during rush-hour traffic to unleash mayhem on the citizens, create massive gridlock that prevented many workers from reaching their places of work and destroyed APC campaign posters.

    ‘’They said we are raising false alarm. But just as we had alerted Nigerians, the Jonathan Administration’s sponsored protest took place, with dire consequences for residents. However, the President’s chances in the forthcoming elections suffered a collateral damage as the N9billion-powered protest backfired, with even supporters of the President being forced to have a rethink due to the massive scale of the lawlessness and brigandage that took place during a supposedly peaceful protest,’’ it said.

    The APC said the next plot by the opprobrious Jonathan Administration is a series of anti-Tinubu demonstrations in Lagos, for which the planners have been mobilised with millions of naira.

    ‘’During the forthcoming demonstrations, the protesters have been told to carry placards asking the EFCC to probe the allegations made against Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the deceitful, ill-intentioned and irresponsible ‘documentary’ that was sponsored by the same Jonathan Administration. Such is the level of President Jonathan’s desperation for re-election that a man who is not on the ballot in the forthcoming elections has become a target of unprecedented mudslinging by his (President’s) Administration,’’ the party said.

    It said considering the sponsored protests by MASSOB and the OPC, the unprovoked and virulent attacks on the presidential candidate of the APC, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, the sponsored documentary of lies as well as the planned demonstrations against Tinubu, and the inciting statements by First Lady Patience Jonathan, who has asked Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)supporters to stone APC members and supporters, there is undisputed evidence that President Jonathan himself is leading the campaign to make the elections violent and Nigeria ungovernable.

    Said the party: ‘’It is a cruel irony that a President who swore to an oath to make the security and welfare of Nigerians his priority has been the same one orchestrating reprehensible acts of violence in the polity, to the detriment of the well-being and safety of his compatriots, just

    because of re-election desperation.

    ‘’Because they (protesters) were pro-Jonathan, hordes of policemen who could not prevent a deadly robbery, in which three policemen lost their lives in Lagos a few days back, offered massive protection to the OPC members who brandished guns, machetes, clubs and knives openly as terrified Lagos residents scampered for safety.

    ‘’It is noteworthy that the policemen who protected the OPC members during their protest did not stop them from destroying APC posters and other campaign materials, neither did they prevent them from unleashing mayhem on the people. As far as the increasingly-partisan security agents were concerned, everything done in support of President Jonathan is fair.

    ‘’We are, therefore, alerting all Nigerians as well as the international community to note that President Jonathan himself is the one setting the stage for violence before, during and after the forthcoming polls, despite his tiring platitude that his political ambition is not worth the blood of any Nigerian. From this precarious situation to which the Administration and the PDP have pushed Nigeria, it is but a short cut to Laurent Gbagbo’s post-election Ivory Coast,’’ APC said.

    The party wondered which country President Jonathan wants to govern when he is relentlessly engineering the destruction of Nigeria by goading ethnic militias into violence and exploiting the nation’s fault lines to divide the people along regional, religious and ethnic lines.

    ‘’We have said it before: President Jonathan is not interested in a free, fair and peaceful polls. He is not interested in the welfare and security of Nigerians. He does not give a damn about the unity of the country. For him, the end justifies the means, and any action, no matter how objectionable, is alright if it will favour his re-election.

    ‘’This is not the stuff of good leaders. What kind of leader is that who will be willing to plunge his nation into crisis just for his political ambition? What sort of President will be bribing people from all walks of life with foreign currencies just to return to office, instead of showcasing his achievements, if any? What desperation will make a President to empty the treasury and endanger the nation’s economy? Why would a leader worth his salt turn to ethnic militias to help him win re-election? These are some of the questions that are begging for answers from President Jonathan,’’ APC said.

     

  • APC applies to join UPN’s suit

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday applied to be joined as a defendant in a suit by the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    UPN is praying the Federal High Court in Lagos to list its presidential and other candidates for the March 28 and April 11 elections.

    The party said it was illegal not to be included in the ballot papers.

    APC’s legal team, led by Chief Emeka Ngige (SAN), asked the court to join it as its interest would be affected by the outcome of the case.

    INEC’s lawyer Jest Kelechukwu said the commission was not opposed to APC’s application.

    The commission filed a counter-affidavit to the suit, asking the court to dismiss UPN’s case.

    But UPN’s lawyer Akinwale Ekunusi opposed APC’s application, saying the suit’s subject-matter was between UPN and INEC.

    APC, he said, had no business seeking to be joined as a defendant.

    Justice Okon Abang, in a short ruling, said APC’s application would be determined first before the main suit, which was to be heard yesterday.

    UPN’s presidential candidate Helen Godswill, with others,  sued INEC for allegedly excluding their names from the elections.

    The plaintiffs accused INEC of failing to publish their names as required by Section 34 of the Electoral Act.

    Justice Abang said he would speed up the case, noting: “It is my view that time is of essence”.

    He adjourned till March 20 to hear APC’s application.

     

  • First Lady came to Ekiti to entertain, says APC

    First Lady came to Ekiti to entertain, says APC

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State has described Monday’s campaign visit by First Lady Patience Jonathan as a comical show.

    The party said Mrs. Jonathan failed to prove why the people should vote for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    It said Mrs. Jonathan only showcased her theatrical prowess, instead of a more robust and issue-based campaign to list her husband’s achievements in Ekiti in the last four years and his plans for the state, if he wins.

    The APC urged the First Lady to emulate the wife of its presidential candidate, Mrs. Aisha Buhari, who  showed class and panache in her campaign engagements.

    In a statement yesterday by its Publicity Secretary, Taiwo Olatubosun, the party regretted that the First Lady only came to Ekiti State to entertain the indigenes.

    He regretted that Mrs. Jonathan and Governor Ayo Fayose treated Ekiti people and other Nigerians watching the event live on television to insipid and dry comedy with their lack-of-grace speeches.

    Olatubosun said throughout the campaign, Mrs. Jonathan created the impression that what Ekiti people needed was entertainment and theatrics to quench their thirst for growth and development.

    He said: “Throughout her speech, she manifested an image of an entertainer providing a momentary comic relief to a poverty-ravaged community not in a hurry for socio-economic salvation.

    “You would have thought that the First Lady would list her husband’s achievements in Ekiti State and then give the people some hope that her husband would build upon those achievements.

    “But she engaged in a “duet” with her host and soul mate, Fayose, in an empty campaign comedy to a thoroughly dazed enlightened Ekiti people.

    “It was a perfect duet by two comedians that one does not need any counsel that Nigeria must be rescued from the captivity of the costumed ‘people of power’.”

    The APC spokesman berated Mrs. Jonathan for her relentless attacks on the APC presidential candidate, Gen Muhammadu Buhari, saying her conduct betrayed a woman hit by the failure of her “husband’s mandate to govern Nigeria”.

    His words: “She consistently painted Buhari as a man who would herd Nigerians into jail without committing any crime whereas Buhari only insisted that criminals during his coming administration would go to jail.

    “She said she was not ready to prepare food for Fayose in jail. Inadvertently, Mrs Jonathan was telling Nigerians that Fayose is a candidate for the prison, if Buhari wins.”

    Olatubosun challenged the First Lady to tell Ekiti people the benefits of SURE-P, which she flaunted at the rally, saying the programme was just a bazaar for a few selfish party leaders.

    He faulted her claim that women were appointed into government positions by Fayose, saying this was a clear case of falsehood, which had become synonymous with Jonathan’s administration.

    “Fayose has a four-man cabinet running his administration. Apart from the secretary to the state government, where are the other women Fayose has appointed?”

  • Benue APC condemns attacks

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Benue State has condemned the attacks by Fulani herdsmen, which left over a hundred people dead and scores injured.

    In a statement, the party’s Secretary, Onov Tyuulugh, decried acts of insurgency, saying if the country must remain one, the rights of the communities to peace and tranquility must be respected.

    He lamented that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) administration of Governor Gabriel Suswam had not given communal crises the deserved attention, as he had never sat down to look at the causes of the crises and address them.

    The APC chieftain said Suswam was too much on the move to give security and governance generally the attention they deserved.

    Tyuulugh advised him to address the clashes between Fulani herdsmen and Benue communities so that a solution could be found to the problem.

    He attributed the crisis to the clueless leadership of the PDP and advised the Benue people to guarantee their safety by voting out the PDP.

    The secretary said APC had a credible leadership to stamp out insurgency and guarantee Nigerians peace and security of life and property.

     

  • APC needs no campaign in Lagos, says group

    A group known as ‘The Democratic Dividend Initiative’(DDI), has said that the All Progressives Congress (APC) needs no campaign in Lagos due to its outstanding achievements in provision of dividends of democracy to the people.

    The group’s President Hon  Paul Eze,  who spoke yesterday in Lagos at a news conference, said in a democratic setting, the only  yardstick to measure  good governance is nothing but presence  of democratic dividends which include good roads, good health care delivery and improved education system which are bound in Lagos.

    Eze, who enjoined the people of Lagos to shun all the sugar- coated mouth politicians who are parading themselves around in the state without any record of achievement whether in their private lives or in their previous public service.

    “Some years back motor parks and under the bridge which usually serves as the den of area boys are today a beauty to behold with good nurtured lawn and beautiful gardens replacing it. All eyes can see how the transport system in the state has been turned to not only as a veritable economic hub but as a recipe to transport agony of the past.”

    The group assured Lagosians that the APC candidate Mr. Akinwumi Ambode will pick the baton of success from the outgoing governor Babatunde Fashola  and take the state to the next level.

  • Buhari: I won’t tamper with press freedom

    Buhari: I won’t tamper with press freedom

     
    The Presidential Candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari Tuesday said he will not tamper with press freedom if elected as a President on March 28.

    He also said a change revolution is imminent in the country without firing a shot.

    Buhari, who gave the assurance at an interactive session with members of the Newspaper  Proprietors Association of Nigeria( NPAN) and the Nigerian Guild of Editors ( NGE) in Abuja restated that he will not engage in a debate with President Goodluck Jonathan.

    He said: “I want to give you my full assurances that in this democratic dispensation, I will ensure that the Nigerian constitution is upheld. This includes respect for the media, respect for the right to free expression and freedom of speech. Page 1 of 2 any of you are aware of Decree 4 of 1984, which was heavily criticised.

    “I have said elsewhere that I cannot change the past. But I can change the present and the future. Dictatorship goes with military rule as do edicts such as Decree 4.

    “However, I am a former–former, note the emphasis on the word ‘former’–military ruler and now a converted democrat, who is ready to operate under democratic norms.

    “I am not only subjecting myself to the rigours of democratic elections for the fourth time, but even after being elected, I will continue to promote the consolidation of democracy in our great country, Nigeria, by guaranteeing that the media’s freedom is not compromised in any way.

    “I give you my full assurances that the Nigerian media will be free under our APC government.”

    He urged media owners and Editors to shun hate reports and slanderous political rhetorics.

    He said: “I also want to use this opportunity to appeal to you to use your media outlets in shaping positive public discourse and eschew hate speech mongering and slanderous political rhetorics which heat up the polity for the sake of peace and stability of our dear nation.

    “There are two specific reasons why I have invited you here today. The first is to use the opportunity to say a special thank you to the Nigerian media for the role you have played in advancing our country’s democracy thus far, and especially for being a platform through which Nigerians’ cry for change was articulated all around the world.

    “On newspaper pages, TV screens and radio waves, the alarming depth of corruption and impunity in our country, the terrifying level of insecurity, and the grim state of our economy were kept constantly before the world’s eyes, making it impossible for the current government to doctor the truth, despite their meanest efforts.

    “I urge you not to relent in your role as watchdogs, to continue to be the voice of the people. The health of Nigeria’s democracy rests partly on you. Without a robust and thriving media, the masses would have no voice.

    “The electorate would also not have sufficient information to make sound decisions, such as deciding to vote out a clueless government and vote in CHANGE.”

    Buhari restated that change revolution is imminent in the country without firing a shot.

    He added: “Our country is on the verge of something new. The tide has turned and the world can sense the wave of change that is about to flood this nation. In less than two weeks, the Nigerian electorate will head to the polls to make their voices heard. “Through the ballot, without a single shot fired, a change revolution will likely take place.”

    After his speech, Buhari responded to questions from some publishers and editors at the session.
    But it was not without drama when the President of NPAN, Prince Nduka Obaigbena, asked Buhari if he was ready to apologize to two journalists who were jailed in 1984 under Decree 4.

    Immediately after Obaigbena asked the question, the Director-General of APC Presidential Campaign Organization, Governor Rotimi Amaechi said: “Gen. Buhari had already answered that question by saying he cannot change the past but he can change present and the future.”

    Those at the session were the President of NPAN, Prince Nduka Obaigbena; Deputy President of NPAN, Mallam Kabiru Yusuf, the Publisher of Vanguard Press Limited, Sir, Sam Amuka Pemu, a former President of NPAN, Ray Ekpu; the Publisher of Leadership Newspaper, Sam Nda Isaiah, the representative of THE Guardian Publisher, Toke Ibru, the Managing Director/ Editor-In-Chief of Champion Newspaper, Mrs. Nwadiuto Iheakanwa;  the Publisher of Peoples Daily, Mallam Wada Maida; the Publisher of Blueprint Newspaper, Alh. Idris Mohammed; a former President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, Gbenga Adefaye; the Managing Director/ Editor-In- Chief of New Telegraph, Mr. Eric Osagie; the Chairman of Liberty Radio, Tijjani Ramalan; the Chairman of Silverbird  Television, Ben Murray Bruce; and the representative of the publisher of THE NATION, Yusuf Alli among others.

  • Ex-speaker, Na’abba joins APC

    Ex-speaker, Na’abba joins APC

    A former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Umar Ghali Na’aba Tuesday formally joined the All Progressives Congress (APC) barely 48 hours after resigning from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    He said the country needs change and the momentum today is in favour of the APC.

    He said he has decided to join APC to help to grow the momentum for change.

    Na’aba made the clarifications while addressing leaders of APC at a session at the National Secretariat of the party to welcome him into the party.

    He said: “I believe that most of you must have read or heard my communication to my former party the Peoples Democratic Party. The total sum of my communication was that I have decided to leave the party having being a member for the past sixteen years with a brief interregnum of about one year.

    “I believe that more than any time in the history of this country, this country needs change, particularly at the top. In the last 16 years, there has been misrule in this country. Nigerians are being misruled by successive Presidents of the PDP. Some of us fought over these tendencies to no success.

    “I believe that the momentum today is in favour of the APC to change this country and we must never allow the momentum to go down. It is in that quest, that I feel that having resigned from the PDP; I must join the APC so that I can help grow that momentum.

    “It is quite remarkable that since I left the PDP, I have been receiving calls and messages of encouragement from across Nigeria. This is to show that APC is a national party and not what they use to regard it as a religious party, a sectional party. People from all corners of this country have called me, including former members of the House of Representatives from across the country who are in APC.

    “My pledge today is to work with you and the Presidential candidate of the party while trying to consolidate on the gains made so far.”

    Na’aba expressed confidence that the APC presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari will win at the poll on March 28.

    He added: I believe that in General Buhari, we have a messiah and I also believe that democracy is about consultations. You must consult, you must accept and you must also be patient. Patience is the only thing in life that when you do, you will never regret. So, let us be patient let us be steadfast. Let me thank members of the Working Committee and other elders of the party for arranging to receive me.

    ” It is very remarkable that a convention was held and a free and fair election was conducted in which Gen. Muhammadu Buhari emerged as the Presidential candidate of the party and I am a witness to how popular Gen. Muhammadu Buhari is, not just in the north, but all over the country.

    ” I am happy that he is going to be the next President of this country and when he becomes the next President of Nigeria, it is our desire that he continues to be a national leader and not a sectional leader. Nigerians have come a long way and I have continued to say that we cannot continue to rule this country on the basis divisiveness.”

    Na’aba gave insights into why he decided to join political leaders of like mind in APC.

    He said: “I believe that most of you must have read or heard my communication to my former party the Peoples Democratic Party. The total sum of my communication was that I have decided to leave the party having being a member for the past sixteen years with a brief interregnum of about one year.

    ” When I and other senior members of the party left the party between 2005 and 2007, a lot of things happened that we thought were undemocratic and we had to leave the party. Eventually, some of us returned after the late President Umaru Yar’Adua made certain promises to effect change in the party which never happened.

    “We thought that we could cohabit within the party and it is a sad commentary on that party that today. Majority of not only the founding fathers but founding members have left the party and many of them are on this high table. Our elder and father, Alhaji Ishiaku Ibrahim is a founding member of the party, a member of the Board of Trustees and Chief Audu Ogbeh who was a former Chairman of the party. We also have some of my colleagues here and a body of others who we could not invite due to the constraint of time.

    “It is barely two weeks to elections and it is important that I come here and be received so that we will go and continue to work towards the success of the party.

    “Mr. Chairman in appreciating you for receiving me into the party let me also appreciate you for what you stand for. I have worked with you even though not as a member of the PDP.
    “There is something we have in common, we all loved democracy and in fighting to enthrone democracy in Nigeria, most of us were in PDP and those in the APP which later metamorphosed onto the ANPP and transformed into one of the legacy parties that transformed into the APC. As members of those two parties, some of us worked together to see that we defeated what was then known as the third term agenda. We worked together very hard and therefore, we have the same spirit.

    “I believe that more than any time in the history of this country, this country needs change, particularly at the top. In the last 16 years, there has been misrule in this country. Nigerians are being misruled by successive Presidents of the PDP. Some of us fought over these tendencies to no success. ”

    He warned against politics of maligning each other on ethnic basis.

    He said: “We can succeed in this country without maligning other parts of the country because we have all it takes. All the regions of this country have comparative advantages which we can build on and succeed and we don’t have to malign others to be able to succeed. God has created us into different tribes and nations.

    “If we are all Hausas or Igbos or Yorubas, there may have been no desire for exchange among us and we may not know one another. It is a test on all us. We have differences in languages and religion among others so that we can be tested in our leadership. Therefore, we must be patient with one another and we must be tolerant of one another, we have to be considerate and accommodative. Without these variables, it will be very difficult to live together.
    ” So, there must be acceptance, tolerance and consideration in this country.

    The bane of this country is that our leaders don’t carry us along. Nigerians are the easiest people to govern. Once you carry Nigerians along, they can support you to go anywhere. We have had leaders who have the exceptional privilege of governing this country without bothering to carry Nigerians along and that is why we are having all these problems we are having.

    Those at the ceremony were the NationalChairman of APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun; a former Information Minister, Prince Tony Momoh, Deputy National Chairman, (North), Senator Lawal Shuaibu, Deputy National Chairman (South), Engr. Segun Oni, National Vice Chairman (North East), Engr. David Lawal, National Auditor, Chief George Moghalu, former National Chairman of PDP, Chief Audu Ogbe, National Secretary, Alhaji Mai Mala Buni, National Treasurer, Alhaji Bala Mohammed, National Vice Chairman, South South, Prince Hillard Eta, the National Publicity Secretary of APC, Alhaji Lai Mohammed; a former BOT chairman of the PDP Alhaji Ishiaku Ibrahim,  a former ED of NIMASA, Hon. Ibrahim Zailani, Hon. Idris  Yahuza, Lumumba Ade, Barrister Mohammed Gambo, Chief Nelson Alakpa and
    Senator Okposo among others.